LOS ANGELES — Shohei Ohtani is holding elite firm.
The Japanese celebrity caps 2024 by successful The Related Press Male Athlete of the 12 months for the third time, tying him with basketball nice Michael Jordan. He trails solely four-time winners Lance Armstrong, Tiger Woods and LeBron James.
“I am very honored,” Ohtani mentioned via interpreter Matt Hidaka in an unique interview with the AP. “Clearly all of the laborious work has paid off. Possibly subsequent yr, I will get the award once more.”
In balloting by 74 sports activities journalists from the AP and its members, Ohtani obtained 48 factors. He beforehand gained the award in 2023 and 2021, when he was with the Angels.
“Rising up in Japan, I did comply with Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods,” he mentioned. “I’d see their accolades and the way they had been profitable in america.”
The AP honor has been given out since 1931. Golfer Babe Didrikson gained six occasions, probably the most by a person or girl.
Swimmer Léon Marchand of France, who gained 4 gold medals on the Paris Olympics, was second with 10 votes in balloting introduced Monday. Golfer Scottie Scheffler, whose victories this yr included the Masters and an Olympic gold medal, was third with 9.
The AP Feminine Athlete of the 12 months might be introduced Tuesday.
Shifting from the beleaguered Los Angeles Angels to the powerhouse Los Angeles Dodgers, Ohtani gained his third Most Helpful Participant award and first within the Nationwide League, led his new workforce to its eighth World Collection championship and created Main League Baseball’s 50/50 membership by hitting 54 dwelling runs and stealing 59 bases.
Ohtani signed a then-record $700 million, 10-year contract with the Dodgers in December 2023. Already a two-way celebrity, he embellished his status even additional regardless of not pitching all season whereas he rehabilitated from a second main proper elbow surgical procedure he had in September 2023.
Ohtani went wild on offense, making each at-bat a must-see second. The 6-foot-4 designated hitter batted a career-high .310 whereas simply surpassing his earlier profession highs in dwelling runs and stolen bases.
In September, he reached the beforehand unheard of fifty/50 mark in a efficiency for the ages. Towards the Miami Marlins in Florida, Ohtani went 6 for six with 3 homers, 10 RBIs, 2 stolen bases and 17 complete bases.
“It would not shock me if he went 60/60 and 20 wins a yr from now,” Brad Ausmus, who managed the Angels in 2019 throughout Ohtani’s second season in Anaheim, mentioned lately. “This man is the best athlete to ever play the game of baseball and there is not an in depth second.”
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Ohtani mentioned he knew the Dodgers’ franchise document for many homers in a season was 49. His earlier finest was 46, set in 2021.
“I type of needed to recover from that bar,” he mentioned. “I used to be pleasantly shocked I used to be in a position to go that document.”
Ohtani carried the Dodgers offensively throughout the common season, and he stayed wholesome till Sport 2 of the World Collection. He injured his left shoulder attempting to steal second base towards the New York Yankees and completed the Collection enjoying harm.
He underwent surgical procedure a number of days after the Dodgers celebrated their championship in early November.
“I haven’t got full vary of movement but, however it feels loads higher,” he advised the AP. “There is not any ache. There’s clearly nonetheless a little bit little bit of tightness, however slowly however absolutely it is getting higher.”
Ohtani lately obtained an up to date rehab schedule, and he is centered on the near-term.
“It is the small steps that I feel are crucial to get me to the last word aim, which is to simply get again wholesome,” he mentioned.
Ohtani can be throwing within the 70 mph vary, which is typical for pitchers early within the offseason.
“I’ll proceed to ramp up slowly,” he mentioned.
The Dodgers’ rotation for subsequent season is in flux, and Ohtani is ready to see the way it shakes out.
“We might go along with a five-man rotation with a bullpen [game], which is what we did loads throughout this season or we might have a six-man rotation,” he mentioned. “Nevertheless it’s all about balancing out once we can get relaxation and recuperate. We’ll see the place that takes us alongside the playoff chase. I’ve bought to clearly tempo myself, however once more that state of affairs will information us to how we get there.”
The Dodgers open the 2025 season in Japan, the place Ohtani is much more intently watched.
“My private aim is to be absolutely wholesome by the point the opening video games do begin,” he mentioned. “To have the ability to pitch and hit can be nice, however the state of affairs will type of information itself.”
Every time Ohtani involves the plate or steps on the mound, there’s nice strain and expectation for him to carry out spectacular feats.
“I simply go on the market and attempt to keep inside myself,” he mentioned. “I can solely management what I can management and that is the place you belief your teammates. The fellows behind me, you belief they’ll make the performs for you. I do not actually attempt to overthink it.”
Ohtani generated large bucks for the Dodgers off the sector, too.
Followers traveled from Japan in droves to see him play across the U.S. At Dodger Stadium, they usually paid additional for excursions of baseball’s third-oldest venue narrated by Japanese-speaking guides and to be on the sector throughout pregame batting observe. A majority of the followers purchased Ohtani-branded merchandise, particularly his No. 17 jersey.
Ohtani’s presence additionally helped the Dodgers land a bevy of latest Japanese sponsors.
As a result of Ohtani prefers to talk Japanese and use an interpreter with the media, he’s shrouded in a little bit of mystique. Requested earlier than his first postgame sequence if he was nervous, he dropped a one-word reply in English: “Nope,” which drew laughter.
Japanese-born Dodgers supervisor Dave Roberts noticed Ohtani’s behind-the-scenes interactions together with his teammates, coaches and workers, and got here away impressed.
“I actually do consider that pretty much as good of a ballplayer as he’s, he is a significantly better individual. He is very sort, thoughtful, he cares,” Roberts advised the AP. “I am simply pleased with any fame or glory or award that he receives as a result of he simply does it in such a respectful and humble means.”
Ohtani relishes his privateness and infrequently shares particulars about himself off the sector. That is why his February announcement through Instagram that he had wed Mamiko Tanaka, a former basketball participant, shocked his new teammates and the remainder of the world.
The next month, after the Dodgers arrived in South Korea to open the season, he was enveloped in scandal when his longtime interpreter and pal, Ippei Mizuhara, was fired by the Dodgers after being accused of utilizing tens of millions of {dollars} of Ohtani’s cash to position bets with an unlawful bookmaker.
His new teammates rallied round Ohtani, who was discovered to haven’t any half within the wrongdoing, and publicly it did not appear to have an effect on him even when he was privately distressed by it.
By June, the uproar had subsided. Mizuhara pleaded responsible to federal financial institution and tax fraud expenses and admitted to stealing almost $17 million from Ohtani.
The general public bought a glimpse of Ohtani’s softer aspect in August, when his canine Decoy delivered a primary pitch to his proprietor on their shared bobblehead night time. The Nederlandse Kooikerhondje exchanged an endearing high-five with Ohtani on the plate.
In consequence, Decoy turned a celeb in his personal proper, together with his breed (pronounced COY-ker-HUND-che) making the record of probably the most mispronounced phrases of 2024. He and Ohtani had been talked about throughout the telecast of final month’s Nationwide Canine Present, the place the small spaniel-type breed was among the many rivals.
“The variety of the breed has type of dwindled, so by him gaining a little bit bit of recognition hopefully that brings up the variety of his breed,” Ohtani mentioned. “I do really feel like we had been in a position to, in a small means, contribute to the recognition of the canine and I am certain Decoy himself can be joyful about that.”
Ohtani might be seeking to high himself subsequent yr whereas eyeing a repeat World Collection title.
“It is virtually like proper now you’ll be able to lock within the Most Helpful Participant within the Nationwide League award as a result of nobody has that means or expertise,” Roberts mentioned.
“I am simply excited to see what ’25 has for Shohei Ohtani.”
